Apple’s iPhone and iPad shipments of touch screen displays has caused the market for touch controller integrated circuits (ICs) to almost triple in size during a five year span.

According to an IHS iSuppli Display Electronics topical report shipments of touch controller ICs are set to reach 2.4 billion units in 2015, up from 865 million in 2010. This year alone, shipments will surge 28 percent to 1.7 billion units, with strong double-digit growth projected for the next two years before the rate of expansion slows slightly in 2015.

Randy Lawson, principal analyst for display & consumer electronics at his said the expansion in touch controller IC shipments is due to the growing number of devices that employ touch technology. He said that Apple almost single-handedly ignited the market for touch in 2007 when it introduced the iPhone.

iPhone featured a multi-touch screen based on a projected capacitive touch technology. Since the appearance of the iPhone, many other smartphone manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon by deploying sophisticated touch sensors for their products.